No sign of Rs 10 crore that Telangana government promised for Mecca Masjid

Even staff has not got salary for 3 months

CHARMINAR: Months after the state government announced that it would spend as much as Rs 10 crore on the

historic Mecca Masjid

for its conservation and also for providing better facilities for visitors and worshippers, the funds have not been released.

It was in May last year that a group of legislators, including the deputy chief minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali and other officials, visited the Mecca Masjid ahead of the

holy month of Ramzan

for inspection.

During the visit, they found several issues such as water seepage from the ceiling, which needed to be addressed urgently.

Officials from the masjid who did not wish to be identified said that the same problems continue to plague the historical structure.

"Apart from some toilets being built by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, little has been done for the masjid's maintenance. The promised funds have not arrived. The issue has not changed since the time of the Congress government," said an official.

Another official said, "A large number of CCTV cameras are not functioning. The issue was brought to the attention of the Minorities Welfare Department but so far little has changed on the ground. The CCTV system needs an immediate overhaul," the official said.

The source also said that the staff have not received their salaries for three months. The masjid has home guards as well as staff such as sweepers and others. "Similar issues have happened in the past as well. We still hope that the

Telangana government

will take the necessary actions that were promised," he said.

The Telangana government said that it is committed to improving facilities at the Mecca Masjid as soon as possible.

Speaking to TOI, deputy chief minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali said, "We will ensure that all work is completed as soon as possible. The CM is also firm on what he has promised and we will leave no stone unturned to get the work done."

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